Market Visit: Checking Out Sophia by Design’s New Digs

July 1, 2016byJennifer Heebner

Yesterday I visited the new Cherry Hill, N.J., headquarters of a longtime maker of fashion-forward styles in gold

At the same time that Shaul and Sandy Reznik are putting the finishing touches on their new office space in Cherry Hill, N.J., they are laboring furiously to ship the hundreds of orders written during the JCK LUXURY 2016 show. The owners of Sophia by Design recently underwent a massive move from their 28-year-long location in Philadelphia to tony new digs across the river, all during the pre– and post–Las Vegas show season. JCK sales rep Bobbie Hamburg and I visited the Rezniks yesterday to check out the new space, and so I could get better acquainted with their offerings. In fact, Sophia by Design’s booth is always so busy during JCK LUXURY that they often don’t have time to chat with editors, so our trip yesterday was a help to us both: I got to see a number of their best-selling collections up close in the privacy of their new space, and they got a little face time with an editor.

Sophia by Design is a manufacturer of many looks in 14k and 18k gold. The looks are so varied that I asked Shaul to explain his specialty or niche. His answer shows that he does not like to disappoint. “We try to fit women from 20 to 50—women of all ages,” he says. “Any lady who likes jewelry will find something to like.” A recently executed ad campaign reinforced this aim. A Sex and the City–inspired photo shoot featured a quartet of relatable girls (not size 0 with flawless features) dressed for a night out and wearing the many different jewelry looks that Sophia by Design offers. As for the company’s design team, it is a quarter Shaul’s efforts and the rest from a team based in Italy.

Shaul brought out trays from his Fashion, Tassels, and Hammered collections, all styles that were easy to appreciate. I tried on a pair of earrings that were one part front-to-backs and another part earring jacket, as a tiny ruby-set pearl stud sat atop a long lean post that meandered through the lobe connecting into a coral bead with 14k gold accents. It was a look that I hadn’t exactly seen before and was feather light on the ear—I could barely feel them! The pair I have on in the photo retails for $1,350. Shaul explained that they were popular in Vegas—perhaps the understatement of the year considering that he sold 200 pairs! Hammered gold bracelets with diamonds, a doublet ring, and tassel earrings rounded out some of the offerings we saw, though we could have spent hours looking through the inventory. But when Bobbie’s hunger alarm triggers, the call for lunch can not be denied.

Retailers should know that Sophia by Design has a vast selection of pretty jewelry with wide design appeal and great prices thanks to manufacturing in Bangkok (and some in Italy). Sophia by Design offers value purchases to more than 1,000 retailers already, so if you’re not familiar with the firm, you might want to become so. Every merchant is looking for inventory with value, and Sophia by Design offers it.